This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Advances in the petroleum industry have allowed access to oil and gas drilling locations and reservoirs that were previously inaccessible due to technological limitations. For example, technological advances have allowed drilling of offshore wells at increasing water depths and in increasingly harsh environments, permitting oil and gas resource owners to successfully drill for otherwise inaccessible energy resources. However, as wells are drilled at increasing depths, additional components may be utilized to, for example, control and or maintain pressure at the wellbore (e.g., the hole that forms the well) and/or to prevent or direct the flow of fluids into and out of the wellbore. One component that may be utilized to accomplish this control and/or direction of fluids into and out of the wellbore is a blowout preventer (BOP).
Subsea BOPs perform many functions that allow the wellbore to be secured during normal and emergency drilling operations. Due to demanding drilling programs, regulatory requirements, and/or further reasons, additional functionality is being demanded of these BOPs. These increased demands may lead to increased capability requirements for the BOP.